The Osborn Inheritance
by TheRiversWoman
Summary: Gwen would do anything to protect her unborn child. Even from its own father. But when ruthless politicians seek her out for their greed and need for power, its father may be the only one who can protect her. Amazing Spiderman centric.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

* * *

Gwen had seen the artworks in her father's office many times. He too had not been immune to the beauty of the United Kingdom. She had seen pictures on google and photos friends had taken. What she had not been prepared for was the astounding beauty of Oxford University up close and personal. The pictures did not do the place justice.

After staring dumbly in wonder for several moments, she grabbed her suitcase and walked along the street beside the place looking upon the map for her location. While the scholarship did pay for her accommodation, Gwen had to make some last minute adjustments for more privacy. She intended to keep her head low and her appearance as inconspicuous as possible.

Turning into another street that had cobblestones and picturesque village looking houses and apartments, Gwen found the house she was looking for.

While it did look like a nice place, it still reminded her of an abandoned cottage out in the woods. Something out of a horror film even though it was attached to the rest of the buildings in the street. It was covered in vines too with various pot plants on the window sills.

Licking her lips, Gwen made it the front stairs and knocked on the door. It didn't take long for the would be land lady to answer.

Gwen cocked her head to the side as the older woman peeked her head out the door.

"Um…Tess Williams?"

"Yes?"

Gwen licked her lips.

"My name is Gwen Stacey. The foreign exchange student. I spoke to you on the phone?"

The door opened wider and the woman scrutinised her up and down before giving her an uncharacteristic big smile.

"Why yes I do remember. Come! Come in."

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief and follow the lady inside.

"Now now, placed your things over there. I'll show you to your room in a bit. Please sit…sit."

Gwen complied, sitting on the comfy couch looking uneasily at all the catholic iconic symbols throughout the room. A big statue of the Virgin Mary standing upon the serpent was above the fire place.

It only painfully reminded her of her father. He had been a deeply religious man expecting law and order in his own home as well as on the street.

"You must be tired from your journey. Fancy some tea?"

Gwen looked at the woman and gave a weak smile.

"That would be lovely."

She waited solemnly, staring at the fire while Tess fussed about in the kitchen.

She tried so hard to focus upon the fire, but her thoughts irrevocably went to Peter and then to Harry.

She bit her lip remembering their fight. How betrayed Peter had felt. How ashamed she was at what she had done.

But she couldn't erase the past nor could she really make up for a mistake like this.

And so she had closed up her heart and had taken off like a coward. A coward with an uncertain future.

"Lot's of sugar darling?"

"Please," Gwen said as the woman came over with a tray of fancy china and heaped three tea spoons full into her cup and stirred.

"It is lovely thank you."

Tess smiled before leaning back in her sofa chair.

"Now are you going to tell me exactly what you are doing here?"

Gwen stopped short as she was about to take a sip and raised her brow.

"What do you mean? I came here for…"

"No no, not that. I mean why are you here in that condition?"

"What condition?"

Tess's grey eyes twinkled and she gave her a pitying smile. She set her own tea down.

"Come now, you can't fool me. I've been a midwife for well over thirty years. I imagine it's your first too by the look of things."

Gwen's mouth hung open for a moment before she shut it and sat mutely in her chair.

Tess resumed drinking her tea as calmly as if she was with a friend talking about the weather.

Gwen swallowed hard before looking back at the fire. So the jig was up.

"I am a little over eight weeks actually," she whispered under her breath.

Tess set her tea down on the table again and reached over to touch her hand. She squeezed it meaningfully.

"How old are you Gwen?"

There was a long pause.

"Nineteen."

Tess smiled at her.

"A little young to be getting yourself into this sort of trouble aye?"

Gwen reluctantly nodded as Tess leaned back in her chair and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Are you going to turn me away?"

The older woman's eyes widened before she gave out a short little laugh.

"Turn you away? No. That would be cruel. Why would I turn away an expectant mother about to start a college degree? No lovee, you are completely fine. I am just wondering what you are doing here is all. In that condition."

Gwen bit her bottom lip, trying to think of what to say. The fact that she was here at all was crazy enough to say the least. She didn't want to admit to her land lady that she was running away from her problems.

"This was too good of an opportunity to pass up and I didn't want to let an unexpected pregnancy to stop me." It was only half a lie, but Tess seemed to buy it.

"I see and the father? If you don't mind me asking. It just that in my experience as a midwife, men want everything to do with their children or nothing to do with them. We won't have a distressed and desperate boyfriend coming up here causing a scene will we? The neighbours won't like that."

Gwen had to refrain from gripping the chair. She mustered up the fakest smile she could although she was sure Tess realised that it didn't reach her eyes.

"No not at all. It is just me."

She sipped her tea then, but it tasted like ashes in her mouth.

And her thoughts went to Peter and Harry. The mess they were in, how she was tied to it and the danger she was in if Harry or God forbid, anyone else in the Osborn Cooperation or in the government ever found out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One: The Rich Man

* * *

When Gwen got settled in and went to bed that night, she thought of the last few months that led up to where she was now. In the end she had gotten to Oxford, but at what cost? She had lost Peter that much was for sure. He probably thought of her as nothing but a money grabbing gold digger. He had even admitted to her during their last fight how much it hurt that he could never compare to someone like Harry Osborn. More so the fact that she decided to tangle in the sheets with his best friend too.

She rolled over on to her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. It hadn't been like that at all. She had just been so stressed about everything that when a man like Harry, rich, sophisticated and full of charisma asked her out to dinner, she hadn't been able to refuse him

Gwen grimaced at that. Who was she kidding? She had been acting like nothing more than a spoilt brat. Closing her eyes, she remembered the first time, she stumbled into him.

* * *

She had been startled to say the least. Here she was in an elevator with Harry Osborn of all people. The owner of this entire cooperation. The cooperation she was previously in trouble with.

Yet at the time, it appeared he hadn't realised it yet.

"So have you known Peter a long time?" She had questioned, trying to sound as normal as possible and not as if she just had a fight with Peter Parker in a janitor's room or that she was being chased by Oscorp security.

"Since we were kids. He's an old time friend."

His face was thoughtful.

"A good friend," he added.

Gwen smiled at that. A good friend. A lousy boyfriend.

_Ex-boyfriend _she reminded herself.

"I'm sorry to hear that things aren't working well between you."

Gwen ran her fingers through her hair and nervously smiled at him.

"Well you know, we're still friends too. Just decided our relationship was better that way."

His lips slightly quivered up.

"Indeed."

The elevator doors opened and Gwen stepped off.

"Hopefully I will see you around Miss Gwendolyn. " The doors shut and Gwen found herself standing there quietly for several moments before she made a beeline for the doors.

She didn't know why he had always insisted on using her first name in full. It had bothered her at first, but she found something alluring about it in the end.

* * *

She was smart enough to know not to show up back to work the next day and so she had resigned without notice. She doubted Oscorp security would dare come for her out in the public given her status and so was contented to focus all of her energy on studying for that up-coming Oxford exam.

Life was quiet without Peter.

Life was hectic without Peter.

And yet she felt she was missing something entirely.

She remembered she had been heading back from Starbucks with a hot coffee to keep her focused, and she hadn't been paying attention when she accidently bumped into someone. Said coffee didn't spill _thank God, _but she was surprised at who she bumped into.

"Mr. Osborn," she said in surprise. At recognizing her, his eyes widened a bit before he gave her a warm smile and let out his hand for a shake.

"Just Harry. It's good to see you again Gwendolyn. Interesting how we keep bumping into each other like this, yes?"

At that she stopped short before letting out a little chuckle.

"Uh, yeah I agree. Sorry about bumping into your shoulder though."

He had asked her what she was doing out here and why she wasn't at work. She had embarrassingly fumbled over her words as she explained to him that she had resigned on short notice because she had been given an opportunity to study molecular biology at Oxford.

Harry's face had been quite neutral at it and though it wasn't necessarily a lie, she wondered ifshe suspected, if he knew she had been snooping around.

"Well congratulations. It's a shame to see you go. Perhaps when you finish you can use your new found knowledge to benefit Oscorp."

At that, she had laughed.

"Maybe," she agreed.

That had been her plan all along until she found out the truth about him and the motivations and corruption of his company. Her degree would go towards different purposes now.

* * *

The next few days passed by without much interest. It wasn't until the weekend where she caught sight of Harry again

He was standing by the lake, throwing pebbles out by himself. Gwen watched him from a respectable distance, but somehow, she didn't know how, but somehow he sensed that she was there.

He turned towards her and their eyes met.

She felt her face flush hot with shame and embarrassment at being caught staring. He waved to her and she gave him an awkward smile. But something felt different. Something was off.

He approached her and as he came closer, she noticed his appearance was quite altered. Instead of the usual combed hairdo he normally had, his hair was ruffled and almost…spiked up. His teeth seemed sharper than usual and his face looked more menacing.

Worse, his skin looked sullen and pale. He had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in a decade and yet in them there was this dark morbid determination. Just what the hell had happened to him?

"Harry…uh..it's good to see you again," she had managed to say not wanting to draw attention to the way he looked. He didn't seem to care either way.

"Likewise. Going for a stroll?"

She remembered biting her lip then and feeling very uneasy.

"Yes."

Harry smiled at her, but there was something sinister about it. She felt very uneasy at how close he came to her. Something wasn't right.

"Then l shall join you. I was just taking a walk myself."

A bland smile she gave him then, but she almost gasped when he hooked his arm around hers.

_Like a gentleman _he had told her.

It had been awkward and strange, in the end though, she had believed he was genuinely being what he was brought up to be. A gentleman. The truth had been so much more disturbing.

"So how are the preparations for Oxford coming along?" he added by way of conversation.

Gwen saw no harm in indulging him a bit although she was a little bit worried about any unwanted paparazzi in the area snapping pictures and getting the wrong idea.

"Good. It is a competitive scholarship. I do have to take an exam and then have an interview so I am hoping it all goes well."

He nodded at that and stared on far ahead. His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the tall buildings. It was as if he was searching for something. Gwen shifted uncomfortably beside him.

"I see. Well if it doesn't all go well I can pull a few strings for you."

That had surprised her. It was very kind of him to do that when he barely knew her.

"Um, thanks? But I don't know yet. Doesn't sound too honest. We will see how desperate and heartbroken I am if I get rejected."

That made him chuckle and he removed his arms from hers and turned to stare at her.

"Is everything okay?" She questioned.

He scrutinized her before letting that sinister smile back on his face. Despite what she thought about that smile, it only sufficed to make him look more handsome.

"Do you want to go out for dinner some time?"

That had made the world stop spinning.

Harry Osborn wanted to have dinner with _her?_

"Uh…" she said stupidly.

"I mean, that is…"

He touched her shoulder.

"I know a nice French restaurant near my Company. High class and very sophisticated. Don't feel obligated to pay for anything. I am a gentleman after all," he said with some hint of sarcasm.

Gwen swallowed hard, nervously smoothed out her skirt before giving him a slight nod.

"Um, sure. That would be lovely."

He grinned at her.

"Wonderful. I will pick you up tomorrow night at seven."

* * *

Gwen wrapped the covers tighter around her body. The evening with him had been wonderful. Full of good food, expensive wine and upper class conversation.

And she had been a complete and utter fool to fall into his trap.


End file.
